Why do most people find it hard to forgive? While we are taught that compassion is a good virtue, the process of healing from a damage done may not take instantly. The readiness to respite maybe influenced by reasons and intensity of the damage done. But in totality the action revolves around the character of humility.We accept the fact that we all have once sinned. The way we accept and treat our own sins has direct relationship with how we treat the sins of others on us. Meaning, even though there is an accepted moral guidelines of how to treat errors, we still use our own meter stick. When we believe that we should be pardoned instantly from a simple lie, we practice it by granting apology to those who lie to us.
The problem arise when our judgment become one sided and self-centered. There are cases when we believe that cheating others could be a sin worth to forgive in an hour yet when we are cheated we condemn the person and even put on severe punishment before forgiving the sinner. Oftentimes the decision for pardon is based on the character of the sinner. Under the same circumstances we forgive our best friend quickly than a stranger. More often we pardon our friends easily than our family members.
But God is teaching us to be impartial. To treat everyone as equals. Jesus even gave quick pardon to the thief on the cross. In one encounters with the disciples, Peter asked Jesus "“Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?” and Jesus said to him: “I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times." (Mt 18:21-22).
Forgiving is a really good virtue. There is no limit; there are no conditions. If we only forgive those who forgive us. What difference we have with the criminals.
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